ADHD Breathing Retraining Workshop
Disclaimer
This workshop is educational and based on evidence-based breathing science. It is not intended to diagnose or replace professional medical, psychological, or behavioral care. If you or your child have been diagnosed with ADHD or another condition, please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your current treatment plan. Breathing retraining can safely complement existing therapies and medications.
Overview
ADHD affects focus, impulse control, and emotional regulation — but it also influences how we breathe. Many children and adults with ADHD experience irregular breathing patterns, mouth breathing, or breath-holding during concentration or stress.
These habits can reduce oxygen efficiency, increase sympathetic arousal, and worsen attention difficulties, fatigue, and restlessness.
This workshop explores how functional nasal breathing and breath regulation can rebalance the nervous system, enhance concentration, and support emotional stability.
You’ll learn the neuroscience behind breath and attention — and how specific breathing rhythms activate brain regions involved in cognitive control, executive functioning, and emotional regulation.
What You’ll Learn
In this session, you will discover how to:
Regulate your nervous system to reduce stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm.
Improve focus and attention by activating the parasympathetic system and modulating brainwave patterns linked to calm alertness.
Practice nasal diaphragmatic breathing to optimize oxygen intake, stimulate the vagus nerve, and calm hyperactive symptoms associated with ADHD.
Understand nasal blockage and mouth breathing, especially during sleep, and how these patterns reduce oxygenation, focus, and cognitive clarity in both children and adults.
Rebuild CO₂ tolerance to improve oxygen delivery, attention span, and self-regulation.
Use neuroscience-based tools to improve brain efficiency, energy balance, and emotional regulation.
You’ll practice several functional breathing methods including:
Box Breathing (4-4-4-4): Balances energy, attention, and emotional rhythm.
Diaphragmatic (Belly) Breathing: Strengthens the breathing muscle and restores calm.
Alternate Nostril Breathing: Harmonizes left–right brain hemispheric activity for focus and clarity.
Extended Exhale Breathing through the Nose: Lengthens the exhale to activate the vagus nerve and increase parasympathetic tone.
Breathe Light Exercises: Train reduced breathing volume and CO₂ adaptation for improved focus, calm, and emotional steadiness.
Cadence Regulation & Coherent Breathing: Breathing at ~5.5–6 breaths per minute to synchronize heart, breath, and brain activity for deep focus and resilience.
5-5-5 Breathing: A quick re-centering tool for transitions and moments of overwhelm.
You will also learn how to unblock the nose, correct mouth breathing, and re-establish healthy nasal breathing patterns to support cognitive performance, sleep, and emotional balance.
